Coup de Grasse

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If you've ever thought Chanel No. 5 has too much ilang-ilang or Annick Goutal's Ce Soir Ou Jamais has too little Turkish rose, then it may well be time to concoct your own fragrance. And the best location for that is the world's scent capitalthe French city of Grasse, just north of Cannes.

Grasse's perfume industry has its origins, rather implausibly, in leather tanning. During the 16th century, tanners made scented leather glovesa hot item in an age when poor sanitation and haphazard refuse disposal meant that ambient smells were much stronger than they are today. The...